The complexity of client devices, such as desktop personal computers, personal digital assistants, and so on, is ever increasing, such as through increases in processing, memory and display resources of the client devices. Additionally, client devices may include hardware which in targeted for a wide variety of considerations. For instance, a desktop personal computer may have significant processing and memory resources for processing data, a personal digital assistant may include hardware devices which are configured to consume limited amounts of power for prolonged mobile use, a game console may be configured to provide a high-definition graphics, and so on. Further, each of these devices may include applications which are targeted for use on the particular hardware of these client devices. For example, a wireless phone may include applications configured to provide an output in a limited display area using minimal processing resources.
The ever increasing complexity and functionality of these client devices, however, has resulted in a corresponding increase in the complexity of maintaining the client devices. For example, it may increasingly difficult for the user to determine how to get updates for the variety of software utilized by the different client devices, protect against vulnerabilities of the client devices to attack from malicious parties, and to keep to client device performing in optimal condition by performing maintenance. Therefore, the client device may operate at less than optimal performance, which may even result in the user prematurely updating the client device.
Accordingly, there is a continuing need for improved techniques for client management.